“You bought a cheap ticket,” the agent said. Turns out I had a T fare, which doesn’t qualify for an upgrade. For that I would have had to buy a more expensive M, B, or Y economy fare, she said. The agent was willing to rebook me at the cheapest price for an upgradable ticket: $2,393. On top of that I would have had to use 50,000 SkyMiles (worth $1,000 based on the commonly accepted value of 2 cents per mile), for a cash equivalent of $3,393. Here’s the kicker: I could have bought a business-class ticket on that same flight for only $2,800—$600 less than the upgrade would cost.

Frustrated as I was with Delta, this situation could have happened with any airline, as fare codes have become increasingly difficult to decipher. So what are the restrictions? It depends on the carrier: American, Continental, and US Airways have little to no restrictions on economy fares; Delta and United have more rules. ” (via travelandleisure.com ) by Mark Orwoll

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read the rest of  The Truth About Frequent-Flier Upgrades

Now, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday — traditionally the busiest time of the year — the Transportation Security Administration has imposed tough new security measures.

And that may have been the last straw for many travelers.

Judy Dugan, the research director at Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group, argues that the anger that has welled up against the new security procedures is an expression of fliers’ overall attitude toward air travel.

“Passengers are angry and frustrated about most of the flying experience — the whole ‘shut up and sit down’ experience of flying,” Ms. Dugan said. “But unless they’re professional travelers, they can’t pin the frustration on individual airlines. It’s easy, though, to focus on the T.S.A., which is a big and omnipresent part of every flight for everyone.”

And don’t expect any change for the better anytime soon. While many travelers may complain about their travel experience, the industry for the first time in years has found a way back to profitability by holding the line on the number of flights they offer.

United States airlines scheduled 526,000 flights in September, according to the Air Consumer Travel Report, down from more than 600,000 in September 2007. And each flight is now fuller. Load factors, which measure how many seats are filled by paying customers, have risen above 80 percent on average at most airlines and will probably be 90 percent or more over the holidays. Only a few years ago, airlines were achieving load factors of 70 percent.

Just between Chicago O’Hare International Airport and La Guardia Airport in New York, American Airlines and United Airlines scheduled 1,400 fewer flights in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period three years ago, a drop of 17 percent.

Fees are also piling up. Bag fees, for instance, brought in $1.7 billion in extra revenue in the first half of the year. In many cases, passengers are paying for services that were once free. Changing a ticket on US Airways, for instance, now costs $150 to $250; sending an unaccompanied minor on a Delta Air Lines flight, $100. Pet charge on Southwest, $75; an alcoholic drink on United, as much as $9.

Southwest, the largest domestic carrier, said it would strive to accommodate every passenger, especially Wednesday and Sunday, traditionally among the busiest days, adding extra flights if needed.

“We do everything we can do to make sure you can get to your destination,” said Greg Wells, the vice president for operations at Southwest Airlines.

Continental and United, which recently merged, have several measures in place to handle the influx of holiday travelers, according to Christen David, a spokeswoman for both airlines. The carriers have brought in additional customer service agents, gate agents and bag handlers. They are also asking managers and clerical personnel to work on the front lines on the day before Thanksgiving.

“It’s all hands on deck,” she said.

Upset with the security measures, Rachelle Desrochers, a health insurance analyst who works in Providence, R.I., said she rarely flew these days, preferring to drive or take the train instead. “I may never get to the West Coast again,” she said, half-jokingly.

Other travelers appeared more stoic about the current state of the airline business.

“We want cheap airline tickets but we don’t want to accept the fact that airlines are turning into Greyhound buses,” said Christopher F. Childres, a managing partner at Edgewater Capital Partners, aprivate equity firm. “But if we pay Greyhound bus prices, we should expect Greyhound bus service.”

He said that his worst experiences were generally not with the airlines but with other passengers, “whether it is a person walking through security with all the jewelry they own, or the person that doesn’t buy two seats but lifts the armrest and takes up half your seat.”

But, he added, “If you’re paying $200 to fly 800 miles in two hours, there has to be an economic reason it’s that cheap. You can’t have a customer experience for $200.” ” (via  nytimes.com) by JAD MOUAWAD

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read the rest of Aggrieved Fliers Ask, ‘What Now?’

Dear AA,

You and I have had a close relationship for nearly 20 years, and it has been mostly wonderful.

In the beginning, as we were getting to know each other, I was OK with being herded to the back of coach as I worked hard to gain favor with you. I was committed to loyalty.

The day that I reached 25,000 frequent flier miles was a big deal for me. Wow. A free trip. But I wanted more. I wanted 50,000 miles for two free round-triptickets. So I persevered. I flew and flew and flew. And finally, I made it. And you came through, just as promised. My husband and I loved that vacation in New England with free airfare and all.

I was hooked. I made sure that all of my trips were booked on AA. You loved that, didn’t you!

Through the years, we have logged nearly 1.5 million miles together. And I thank you for my lifetime elite status. But things have changed. I haven’t seen an upgrade to first class in what seems like years. I notice you are booking the flights to full; there is not an open seat anywhere.

I don’t mourn so much for myself, because despite all the downgrading you’ve done, I retain my lifetime elite status. But I have to warn you that my eyes have been wandering.

In a few weeks, I’ll be flying to Massachusetts. On Delta.” (via  dailybulletin.com) by Mary Hunt of debtproofliving.com

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read all of  - Frequent flier breaks up with favorite airline

100,000 Miles!
• Five runner-up winners will each receive 100,000 miles

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to enter – 1 MILLION Delta MILES + CRUISE GIVEAWAY!

You can always earn up to 10,000 miles with any sailing booked with SkyMiles Cruises, and during thr 2010 Cruise Clearance you’ll earn DOUBLE – up to 20,000 miles for reserving a balcony or suite by October 7.

Today, AirTran, which also flies nonstop from Detroit to Orlando, released their flights for our travel dates. Delta, as I expected, modified their fares. The Delta flights initially cost more, but once you factored in the baggage fees ($20/bag each way on AirTran), the prices were almost identical. Which means Delta, which is where all my frequent flyer miles are, had the edge.

But there’s a problem. We’re all flying down together, but we’re not all flying back together. DW and I are coming home after a week, but son and family are staying a few extra days. So I called Delta to find out how to handle this.

The reservation agent told me there was nothing she could do. It had to be booked as two separate reservations, and the free bag perk only applies to the party that includes the cardholder. So only two out of six of us get to check our bags for free. Suddenly, the pricing is no longer competitive.

I booked our flights with AirTran. Not only was it cheaper, the flight times were better. (Our flight down leaves Detroit at 12:10, while the cheapest Delta flight doesn’t take off until 5:43.) Funny thing is, I still paid for the tickets with the Delta AmEx. I got it under a sign-up offer where I get 20K FF miles for my first purchase, and another 10K if I spend over $1000 in the first three months. So buying AirTran tickets is getting me 30K SkyMiles. Sheesh. ” (via tugbbs.com) by markbernstein

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read the comments readers had about - Delta lost a sale but the customer got 30,000 miles.

Driving Every Loyal Traveller Away – the new Delta ( by Carolinian )

Pros: A bereavement, compassion, or emergency fare is a heavily discounted fare–typically 50% off the highest unrestricted fare. These fares offer travelers lots of flexibility from being fully refundable to allowing date and schedule changes at no additional cost–but the rules vary by airline. If you’re not sure when you want to arrive or return, this might be the best choice for you.

Cons: 50% off an unrestricted fare sounds pretty good–until you do the math. In today’s competitive travel marketplace, virtually no one buys full-price fares and even half off an unrestricted fare can be hundreds more than the lowest online fare. You’ll probably be able to find a much cheaper flight through a quick Internet search and don’t forget to check Flight + Hotel prices too. Vacation packages tend to be your best value at the last minute and everybody can’t stay at Aunt Judy’s house!

Policies by Airline: Here are the bereavement fare policies for some major North American airlines( please click link below). Please note US Airways, AirTran, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and Virgin America do not offer bereavement, compassion, or emergency fares. ” (via windowseatblog.com ) by Alison Presley

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read all of – Airlines bereavement fares

Today-Aug 19- get $50 worth of GAP apparel and accessories including sale items at any GAP store nationwide for only $25. Click here for todays deal. (buy today - good until Nov 19)

Groupon is a deal-of-the-day website that is localized to major markets in the United States.

How Groupon Works:

1. Each day they feature something cool to do at an unbeatable price.
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SkyMiles® Rewards Program

Check your first bag for free on every Delta flight - Introducing a new benefit that lets you and your traveling companions check a bag for free on Delta. With the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express, up to nine people in your reservation can each save up to $50 on a round-trip.

Get closer to your next vacation - Earn 20,000 bonus miles with your first purchase, 5,000 of which are Medallion® Qualification Miles. Plus, get 5,000 bonus miles when you add two Additional Cardmembers to your account.

Pay with Miles - The exclusive feature that lets you pay for all or part of your Delta or Northwest flight with miles.

Companion Certificate - Complimentary companion Coach Class ticket each year upon renewal. Additional taxes/fees/restrictions/baggage charges may apply.

Miles Boosts - Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) each year with built-in Miles Boosts so you can reach Medallion status faster than ever.

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here for all the details and/or apply for the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express